15 comments:

You know, I've theorized before on the maximum actual value of a rifle. After all you're paying for power and accuracy. The 50 BMG offers the ultimate in power, the McMillan heavy benchrest holds the record for that caliber in accuracy. so since the McMillan 50BMG Heavy benchrest is the ultimate in power and accuracy, and since this rifle retails for (last I checked) about $6000 or $7000 bucks. no rifle should cost much more than that. I might, if I cared about such things, make a $1000-$3000 allowance for engraving and polished walnut, but I'd just be terrified to scratch it. Maybe I can get some Hogue overmolds for my new H&H Grand Royal Double.

I have to admit that I can't see where the full cost comes from, either. It's not like it takes a person three years to hand-make it. It's not made of supremely rare materials, and it's not documented as being owned by Jesus himself. So...what's the deal?

IIRC, there's something like 1000 man hours in the average H&H double.

I can easily believe 200K for the gun. Why? Well, first it's made in GB, so almost half that sticker price is going to the Crown. Now, add in the cost of master craftsman. Every damn part on that gun is "smoked" and hand fitted. $1000-3000 for Engraving? Are you on crack? You can't get that kind of engraving, from decent craftsman for that price HERE. Wood? Ever price high grade walnut? add in just 3-4K just for the wood. Stockmaking? My favorite stockmaker(I don't mean a guy with a duplicator) gets 3 grand, plus the cost of wood, and he's far from the "big names".

Now admittedly, H&H adds a "brand premium", but it's not as big as some of you think it is.

If it's all about form following function why did anyone ever buy a Jaguar? (The most expensive junk car money can buy.) Or a Delorean for that matter? The Delorean didn't perform well, and unless you were building a time-machine in it, the stainless steel body was an expense and a lot of work. (It is stain-LESS, not stain-free!)

The Corvette was available for less money, had better performance, looked better. So what?

Besides, if I could afford this, well, I might not buy H and H, but I would own some fine engraved weapons.

Years ago back when I visited England on a regular basis, (I've only been back once after they made handguns a Section Five firearm.) I toured Holland&Holland for a feature story for GUN WORLD. It was like a step back in time. I fully expected to meet some character from Charles Dickens working at one of the benches it was so antiquated.

Yeah, their guns are horribly overpriced and considering the ability and technology available with other manufacturers I'm not all that sure their quality is all that high in comparison.

However, they have their niche market and far be it for me to say it is pointless, but the waiting list when I visited was far more than 3 years and the cost back then was still well over $100,000 for a double rifle not counting fluctations in the exchange rate.

Tam, go look around Dressels, they have wood starting at 100 bucks, but the really nice stuff doesn't show up until around a grand. Their wood seems to top out in price around 4K. I have a Pattern 14 that at some point is going to be a 500 Jeffery. Even with me doing the metalwork, I still expect to Give Chic Worthing and Roger Kehr north of 7K between the two of them, on top of what Dressels gets out of me.

Now you see from some of the responses why I gave up the dream of building rifles for a living. The old Gunsmith/Pizza joke has more than an ounce of truth in it. It's why I decided there was more money in making parts than fitting them.

You guys are right, I've never priced premium walnut/engraving, but I like to use my guns and I think I'd have to shoot myself in the foot if I scratched a $100-200,000 rifle stock. Hell I'm a wimp and would probably cry over a scratch on a $15,000 weapon.